Chapter 30 - The Empire Will Fall (TCOK)
Chubba's job had been to lead the main assault. All he had to do was attack with the Clubbas and fight, and not get everyone killed. That was all he had to do. No thinking whatsoever. But as always, even the simplest tasks appeared to elude Tubba's brother. Chubba had elected to lead the troops around the battlefield, attacking the Iglators head on, rather than the side as was originally agreed upon, the proper formation. With the Iglators being much stronger and built for attack, Tubba could only wince as he saw multiple Clubbas be struck down by the vicious, glinting claws of the Iglators. The plan was failing. With no time to think of a counterattacking plan, for the Iglators were bearing down on him were racing across the turf, stampeding the wet grass with their heavy thumping, gaining on him with every second, Tubba set off again toward the castle. With the battle taking place on the foreground of the castle, just outside the external wall in a clearing just prior to the woods, the running was fairly easy until he got into the courtyard, where he began to run on the hard path that led to the drawbridge. The Clubbas will have to fend for themselves for now. What can I do? There's no way I can turn and fight and expect to win. One Iglator -- Uarn -- was hard enough. Having to deal with all of them baying for my blood will probably end that way. '' Racing through the castle courtyards, Tubba knew he was running straight into enemy territory. There was no way Hareth left the castle defenceless, and sooner or later, he would encounter more Iglators. Perhaps he would have to jump into the moat, with no idea whatsoever where that would take him, and his conspicious lack of ability to swim. ''If that's what it takes to make this Empire fall, that's what I'll do. ''Tubba thought grimly as he saw the castle's imposing spires grow bigger and bigger before him. Straight ahead of him was the drawbridge into the castle, which was drawn in the upward position. He was running straight to a dead end, with only metres of moat between him and the entrance to the castle. Sheer panic lanced through Tubba as he felt a vicious claw tear out leg scales from his right leg. The Iglators were catching up. Ignoring the telltale pulse of blood from the newly opened wound, as well as his gasps for breaths as he became fatigued, he attempted to give himself a spurt of energy. ''I have no options. If I slow down, they will get me and I will have no chance. If I try to turn, I'll be cut off; there are a LOT more of them than there are of me. If I keep going, I'll run right into the moat. I'm out of options and I'm out of plans. Swinging Karubba's club behind him to fend off the Iglators, he felt a satisfying thump! ''as he knocked some of the lead Iglators off his trail. But the time had drained out of Tubba's hourglass. The path stopped directly in front of him, with air standing between him and the castle. He was a second away from going over the edge. ''This can't be how it ends. A desperate desire to prove myself leads me to the end. We're all just visitors, we come, we live, we die. '' '' I have to try and make the jump. ''The rational part of Tubba's brain was screaming at him to not attempt to make the jump. ''Are you nuts? You weigh over 2000 kilograms! You can't make that! ''Ignoring the doubters, as he always had, Tubba braced his heavily bleeding and scratched legs for the leap and hurled himself into the air. He couldn't make the jump, of course. Stretching his hands desperately to grasp the edge of the drawbridge, Tubba realized that he was falling too fast. Grasping Karubba's club as tightly as he could, he closed his eyes and braced for impact with the damp, smooth stone wall of the castle just above the moat. Tubba felt a sickening crunch in all parts of his body as he contacted the hard stone wall. A red mist descended over his closed eyelids as he desperately tried to remain conscious. He felt the telltale sign of water rushing over him as he fell into the moat. Gasping for air, feeling the salty tang of blood stain his mouth, Tubba strained open his eyes, desperately splashing through the water. ''I can't feel my legs. Or my arms. Or anything. ''Heaving air into his lungs, as water stung his eyes, Tubba prayed that the water around him was only red because of the color of his skin. But as he tried to move his broken, battered limbs, he knew. It was blood. The sunlight around him was getting dimmer and dimmer, and his struggles were growing weaker and weaker. With a sigh, Tubba spat out the blood in his mouth, only for more to pour into it. Closing his eyes, Tubba felt his head dip underneath the water, and knew he was too weak to bring it up again. ''Maybe I should learn to swim next time...